Hospital Pharmacy

I'll publish this for my own so if you reading this please excuse my grammar and spelling mistakes! :)

You know what? I really did not think I would enjoy Hospital pharmacy in any way. I just signed up for it during my coop to experience the environment but I never thought I would like hospital pharmacy this much.

The unit I am currently work at I cover 3 different units on the 5th floor, which are storke 5N, Clinical teaching unit CTU 5S, and Acute Elderly Care 5A and General Medicine 5C. There are 80 patient in the whole floor that we cover for and I am supper happy that I got this placement over other positions because I have been dealing with different patients from different units on a daily basis which help me to apply the pharmacy school knowledge to real cases.

There have been multiple instances that I questioned my success in pharmacy. During last coop when I was working as a student at SDM, I encountered underappreciation of pharmacists on multiple occassions. Additionally, although I was always interested in the business aspect of pharmacy and thought of having my pharmacy at some point in the future, the care was attempted to be both business and patient centred care and I did not like it too much. Plus, there people who come to the place yelling at pharmacists thinkin they are their slaves and demanded medications.When I was conducting medication reviews for patients, there were occassions that they did not want to share their medical information with me saying that their doctors are taking care of it and they did not trust us as much. Which was quite unfortunate because in Canada pharmacists are highly educated and have in depth knowledge of medications and sometimes even know more about doctors.

As much as I was afraid of working in the hopsital thinking that it would be intense, I started to love it as soon as I became clinically involved. I felt more valued for the knoweledge I contibute to patient care in the team of physicians and other health care professional. The orders were always needed to be verified by the pharmacist after they medical doctors put them into the system and some medication dosing such as vancomycin and warfarin were soley adjusted and monitored by the pharmacist. Also the fact that care were more patient-centered and less business driven felt a lot better. Patients in the hopsital are sicker compared to the community and I could really make a difference by contibuting to their care plan. I get to meet so many kinds of people and how their conditions really affect thier behaviors. I did really enjoy talikg with elderly patient who were so sweet and cooperative but at the same time seeing that they are going through pain did really hurt and made me emotional.

I mean I did not feel really and I still don't think I am to try something like ICU, oncology, or emergency. Maybe one day I give it a try but knowing myself I need to be more emotionally prepared. Yesterday, I got the chance to shadow NICU, childbirth and pediatrics units and it was a unique experience as I got to see tiny little humans and they treatment and care they receive, sometimes even more extensive than an adult.

One thing that made me write about my expeirence is today's experience I had with a patient. He was a 83 y/o male admiited due to wound care. I was doing his BPMH and when I went to interview him he was such a pleasant and kind man. When I was asking about his medications he told me his life story and that he has lost his wife and has no children. He felt supper alone and was telling me he takes 30 medications daily to make him alive but doesn't even think he should be. Then he said he hopes he doesn't have to amputate anything. When I was assuring him that he his loved and we are his family and doesn't need to worry about amputation for now, he grabbed my hand and told me how he appreciates the care we provide for him and that I made his day. He asked about my pharmacy journey and wished me best of luck and told me I will make a great pharmacists. Hearing his words were just magical and did really penetrate into my soul. Just knowing that I did play a role in making him suffer less and even just a bit happy, did also made my day. This makes me want to become a pharmacist as soon as possible to just be able to provide care to the full of my scope. these little things are what stick to any health care provider and I am so happy that I am in my journey to become one! I will never get tired my patients and will continue to stirve!

Kiarokh